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Michigan State University has just agreed to pay out $500M to settle the sexual abuse case resulting from the depredations of Larry Nassar, its former university physician against over 300 young female athletes. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that $425 million will go to current claimants and the rest will be put aside for possible future cases, which means "closure" is far from achieved.

Of course, the women (and some men) victimized by Nassar will never truly see an end to their trauma. The best they can do is try to put it behind them and move on, an extremely difficult task. (And I don't presume to know how they can do that despite my best hopes for them.) But to have been taken advantage of by a trusted and prominent physician, one eagerly hired by MSU for his status as a winning coach with USA Gymnastics, can shake one's sense of trust to the core. It's a stain that can never be entirely erased.

As terrible as the abuse and its extent are, their effects radiate well beyond the athletes. Every coach or physician becomes a suspect; every student-athlete must wonder if the treatment being proposed is legitimate or somehow inappropriate. In an area of endeavor where the body is the locus of athletic power and performance, the need to appear invulnerable collides with the need to subject oneself to the ministrations of trainers, doctors, and others who may not always have the athletes' condition as their first concern. For athletes, the integrity of their bodies and the ability to focus their minds and emotions are critical not only in the game but in their sense of self. Off the field or the court, the intensity of exploitation at the hands of someone like Larry Nassar must feel especially horrific, breaking down the very elements that contribute to athletic and personal success.

Head coach Jovan Vavic of the University of Southern California, center, speaks with players during Division I Women's Water Polo Championship. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Beyond that, how will colleges and universities strengthen their oversight of those who have students in their care? Of course, the majority of coaches, physicians, trainers and others who work in higher education are dedicated to their work and devoted to the success of their athletes, but how can institutions both reassure students of their safety while not viewing every adult as a potential Nassar? What kinds of safeguards can be put in place to prevent such a monstrous thing from occurring again? How much will having a winning season outweigh those safeguards if it comes down to that?

Two of the problems with both Penn State and MSU are that the abuses happened over an extended period of time and that others who knew or should have known better didn't immediately report what they knew to be wrong. Between the slow-motion unfolding of the abuse and the deference to power, the violence went on and on. There were failures everywhere, all of which crushed hundreds of trusting young women and men.

The $500 million settlement for Nassar's victims at MSU seems like the least the university could do for them. It's a glittery but ultimately hollow attempt to make amends for their failure to shoulder their "duty of care." Yet we can hope that such financial pain will cause other institutions to carefully review and strengthen their oversight. (Although one needs a lot of faith to assume that, given the colossal failure at Penn State.)

To put things in perspective, the settlement is larger than the endowments of nearly 700 colleges and universities as reported in 2011-12. And where will the money come from? The Chronicle suggests everything from raising tuition to borrowing to even declaring bankruptcy, which presumably would be an extremely last resort. Consider, however, that any of these approaches means the university will be hobbled for many years to come in its ability to provide its students with the kind of excellent educational opportunities it's incumbent on them to provide.

Although our primary concern remains with the victims of sexual assault, the aftershocks will travel widely and affect higher education for years to come. We hope the overcome their experience and achieve the success they deserve. And we hope that colleges and universities will rededicate themselves to prizing athletes' well-being over any other goals.

I was an admission officer at Amherst College for eight years and college counselor at a Chicago private school for six. For the last 12 years, I've helped underserved students navigate the college process. I've also taught high school English and theater. Since 1990 I've wr...